Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1887-02-05
LITTLE SEAMSTRESS.


sky was covered with heavy, drab colored
clouds; the last few yellow leaves were
falling from the great elm in the market
place, and there was raw chill feeling
in the air. Jenny was stitching away
diligently. She had set herself task to
finish before tea time-a silk gown to
mend and alter for the clergyman S wife,
who was going to dine that evening at
Reyhill place.
Jenny was not pretty, but she had a
fresh, sweet little face, a large, smiling
mouth, pleasant gray eyes, and neat,
smooth hair. There was something CHEEKY
and courageous about the little woman.
Life was not very smooth to her. She
had to stitch morning, noon and night to
keep her invalid mother, and it was hard
work to make both ends meet. But no
one ever heard Jenny complain. She
used to go singing about her work, and
up and down the dark creaking stairs
that led to her mothers bedroom Jenny's
voice was delightful. 1t did you good to
hear it, it was SO clear and sweet and
fresh, like the voice of some lark on dewy
summer mornings. And it had been very
well trained by the organist, who will
lingly devoted his spare hour of an even
ing to teaching the little seamstress to
play and sing.
The market place looked very empty
when Jenny looked out on it every now
and again to rest her eyes. But presently
she heard the noise of wheels, and saw
the Reyhill carriage with Lady Violet
herself in it, and another lady, Lady
Eleanor Arden, frequent visitor to Rey-
hill place, seated by her. Lady Eleanor
was dark and pale, with beautiful
melancholy face and large sad eyes
eyes that seemed to haunt you. She was
an heiress. People said that she had
cared all her life for Mr.. Richard Feyne,
one of Lady Violet's penniless younger
brothers. Lady Violet, SO the story ran,
would have been very glad to have had
her for a sister-in-law, and was always
asking her to Reyhill to meet Mr.. Feyne;
but he never seemed to regard Eleanor in
any other light than that of mere
friend. Lady Eleanor had had a great
deal of trouble; she had lost both of her
parents and her only brother, and the
wealth that would have been such a
pleasure to many people, seemed to her
only burden.
To Jenny's establishment the carriage
stopped before her mothers house, and
the powdered footman rang the bell.
Jenny ran to open the door.
"Does Miss Wilson live here?" asked
Lady Violet, from the carriage.
my name is Jane Wilson, answered
Jenny, with a vague hope that Violet had
come to order dress of her. 81 am a
dressmaker. -
Lady Violet Sprang out of the car
rage and Lady Eleanor followed her.
'.We want to hear you sing," said
Lady Violet, pleasantly. 'sWill you sing
to lls?''
Jenny's little workroom had never
held such grand visitors before. 1t was
a dingy little parlor, with horsehair chairs
and sofa. There were few prints on
the walls: The lord lieutenant of the
county, holding roll Of papers in his
hand, and with pillar and a curtain in
the background; ''The Meeting of We'll
hngton and Butcher after Waterloo, and
a lady simpering at dove upon her
finger.
Jenny sat down shyly to the little old
piano, and began, with certain tremor
in her voice, CANCELS ever bright and
fair" The pure notes, like the song of
a lark, rang out through the little room,
growing stronger and clearer as Jenny
gathered courage and went on.
Lady Violet was warm in her praises
o. Jenny's singing.
""iE you come up to Reyhill this
evening, and sing to us?'' she asked.
"We want to have some music; my
brother, Mr.. Feyne, is SO fond of it.
What would be your terms?" she went
on, he5itatiagly. and with a pretty blush
of en- 1arrassment, and then she named
sun which filled Jenny with delight
What would it not buy for her invalid
mother!
ladies came into the drawing after din
ner, they found Jenny already awaiting
them, as Lady Violet had directed. She
had dressed herself in her Sunday black
silk, with bunch of violets fastening
her neat muslin fchu, and silver cross
her only ornament-on black velvet
round her neck. Lady Eleanor came up
and said a few kind words to her.
Eleanor was very gentle, often very 81
lent, but when she spoke you could not
choose but listen, the voice was SO sweet,
and the words themselves never seemed
trivial.
The drawing room at Reyhill was sepa-
rated from the dining room by large
folding doors and heavy brocade cur
tain. AS Eleanor was speaking Jenny
saw an absent and preoccupied expression
come over her face, and, following the
direction of Eleanor's eyes, Jenny saw
that the curtain had been pushed aside
to admit one of the gentlemen. He
came up to Lady Violet.
II could wait no longer" he said;
''they were discussing hounds and horses,
and thought it would never end. Now,
Violet, when is our music to begin?"
Lady Violet introduced him to Jenny
as her brother, Mr. Feyne.
Miss Wilson is going to sing to us,
Richard" sac said. ''Will you and
Eleanor take her into the hall and settle
with her what the music is to be? /
must go and talk pretty ''she con-
tinued, in an undertone to her brother,
glancing at the other ladies, and pres
emily we will come in and listen"
The piano stood at one end of the hail.
and here at night it was Richard g habit
to sit and listen to music in the dark
corner beside the piano, where he could
watch the singer almost unseen himself
Jenny followed Lady Eleanor into the
hall. Mr.. Feyne opened the piano for
her and arranged the music. There was
kindness and a courtesy in his manner
which were peculiar to him-a great
gentleness and Difference whenever he
addressed woman. He was by nature
very enthusiastic, and, whatever the en-
thusiasm of the moment might be land
the one succeeded the other with great
rapidity), it was to him at the time the
one great aim and object of his life.
Music was now his passion. A few
weeks ago he knew little about it, and
cared less. Now he could conceive no
greater pleasure than listening to music
all day and every day. Lady Violet had
sung to him until she was hoarse, al
though her style of music was not ac-
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